Write & Shine 1st Grade Writing Journal Prompts
Category: Education / Writing Prompts
Turn morning work into a daily writing habit: 225 journal prompts for K-2 with projectable slides and printable pages in 3 levels, US Letter and A4.
Picture a calm classroom where every child walks in, sees the day's prompt on the board and starts writing right away. These 1st grade writing prompts turn morning work into a daily journal habit your students look forward to, from the child who only draws to the one who fills a page. By spring, their journals show real growth in their ideas and sentences. Write & Shine is a full year of daily writing: 225 prompts with projectable slides and printable journal pages in three levels.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Digital download: 26 PDF files in US Letter (8.5 x 11 in) and A4, in full color and in black and white.
• 279 projectable slides (16:9): a "This Week" overview for each of the 45 weeks, one slide for every prompt with a model journal page, how-it-works, theme and checklist slides, and 5 blank slides
• Level 1 Draw & Tell: 225 journal pages with a big picture box, word bank and a sentence starter to trace
• Level 2 Draw & Write: 225 journal pages with a picture box, word bank, starter and 3 writing rows
• Level 3 Write More: 225 journal pages with more writing rows, a smaller picture box and an "I checked" self-check
• Notebook Prompt Strips: all 225 prompts as cut-and-glue strips for composition notebooks
• Covers, Posters and Trackers: 30 journal covers, 5 day-theme posters, a weekly routine poster, a writing checklist poster, a student tracker, a class tracker, 2 awards and 9 make-your-own templates
• Teacher Guide (12 pages): routine, the 5 daily themes, how to use the 3 levels, tips, a 45-week scope and sequence
• Print Guide (4 pages): which file to use, how to print, words explained
Each version has 781 printable pages, plus the 279 slides: over 1,000 pages and slides.
A THEME FOR EVERY DAY
• My World Monday: me, my family, my school. Draw and label, make a list or write a sentence
• Fact Finder Tuesday: write facts about a topic, or teach how to do something with First, Next, Then, Last
• Which One Wednesday: choose between two things and tell why
• Wonder Why Thursday: big why, how and what-if questions
• Free Choice Friday: write about anything, with 3 idea helpers for students who get stuck
WHAT MAKES IT EASY
• No copying the question: printable pages and glue-in strips put the prompt right on the page
• A picture and a sentence starter on every prompt, so children who are not reading yet can join in
• The same prompt on every level, so the whole class talks about one topic while each child works at the right level
• Model journal page on each slide shows students how to set up their notebook
• Mostly holiday-free seasonal topics (back to school, fall, winter, spring, summer) that work in any school
• Clickable contents and bookmarks: jump to any week in one click
• Fonts are built into the PDFs, so pages look the same on every computer
PERFECT FOR
• Kindergarten (spring), 1st grade and 2nd grade
• Morning work and bell ringers
• Writing centers and early finishers
• Small groups, ESL and students who need extra support
• Substitute plans and homeschool writing
HOW TO USE
• Project the day's slide and read the prompt together
• Students talk for a minute, then draw and write in a notebook or on the printable page
• Pick the level that fits each child and move them up during the year
• Let 2 or 3 writers share at the end
HOW TO PRINT
• Open the PDFs in Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) or your browser
• Choose "Actual size" or "100%" in the print window
• Student pages: regular copy paper. Covers and posters: card stock
• Print the black-and-white version to save ink
PLEASE NOTE
• This is a digital download. Nothing will be shipped
• Colors may look a little different on different screens and printers
• For personal and single-classroom use only. Please do not share, resell or upload the files
• The writing prompts were created with the help of AI and then checked and edited by us. The layout, pictures and design were made by Printivora (pictures from the Noto Emoji open-license font and our own drawings)
• Not affiliated with any school, curriculum or publisher
Questions before you buy? Send us a message and we will be happy to help!